The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes won their third straight game on Monday night behind yet another a strong pitching performance by 21-year-old right-hander Duke von Schamann.
Aided by a bases-clearing double off the bat of power hitting first baseman O’Koyea Dickson in the first inning, von Schamann and the Quakes beat the defending Cal League champion Lancaster JetHawks by a score of 10-6. It was the second consecutive game in which the Quakes scored double-digits, having won on Sunday afternoon in an exciting come-from-behind 11-7 victory.
The Quakes now find themselves in third place in the Cal League South standings only one game behind the second place JetHawks and 2.5 games behind the league-leading Inland Empire 66ers.
Von Schamann pitched himself into and out of trouble several times in his six innings of work allowing 4 runs on 7 hits while walking 4 and striking out 2, improving his record to a team-leading 6-1 with an ERA of 3.99.
Von Schamann was relieved by left-hander Daniel Coulombe and right-hander Raydel Sanchez who each allowed a run in their 1 and 1.1 innings of work respectively. And though the JetHawks loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run at the plate, Quakes right-hander Pedro Baez was able to seal the deal without allowing a run.
Dickson went 1 for 3 on the night collecting 3 RBIs on his bases loaded double and another on a sacrifice fly.
The Quakes are looking to sweep the series against the JetHawks with an unusual 11 AM game on Wednesday morning. They will send right-hander James Campbell (1-3) to the mound to face JetHawks lefty Kyle Hallock (1-0)
Duke not at his best. He has to be sharp with location and change of speed as he is not a strikeout pitcher. Good to see him get another win.
This was the second time I have seen Daniel Coulombe pitch out of the bullpen and he has a great slurve. He threw two in a row to JetHawks CF Andrew Aplin and had him 2-2 and then came back with a fastball that Aplin laced for an RBI double. I actually believe that Daniel would have struck Aplin out if he threw the slurve again, as it is pretty much unhittable. It didn’t matter in the long run, however.
Gotta keep an eye on Coulombe now, too.
Daniel took the loss today. His control, like so many, is his problem. He gives up less than a hit an inning and more than a strikeout an inning but his K/BB ratio is not good at 21/15.
Coulombe has had a TJ surgery. He was also drafted by the Dodgers in 2008 but didn’t sign so they took him again in 2012.